The Peruvian Life Cycle Assessment Network (PELCAN), a research group of the Department of Engineering at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), is currently collaborating in a European project, named FOODTURE and seeking two (2) PhD student for these endeavors.
DESCRIPTION
The FOODTURE initiative aims at catalyzing a transformative shift towards sustainable and innovative practices within the food sector. For this, the development and validation of enhanced life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies and the promotion of stakeholder engagement will be promoted within the project. At PUCP we will be working on developing new Life Cycle Impact Assessment methods related to ocean-based environmental impacts. We will also be working on agricultural systems, more specifically relevant agricultural systems in Peru for global food supply and security.
PROFILE
Education
● Master’s degree in industrial Ecology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Civil and/or Environmental Engineering, Sustainable Engineering or Process Engineering.
Competencies
● Knowledge in Life Cycle Assessment and industrial ecology is required. Knowledge in ecosystem services, agri-food systems, biodiversity and ocean science is also welcome.
● Experience in LCA methodology and LCI inventory databases. Application of these tools in cleaner production is an asset.
● Experience in an international research environment; experience in the field of sustainability is an advantage.
● The candidate should think interdisciplinary and holistically.
● The applicant should be creative, a team player and have proven organizational skills.
● Capability to construct new project proposals in the fields of LCA, industrial ecology and cleaner production.
Language
Proficient spoken and written knowledge of Spanish is mandatory. An advanced knowledge of English is also required (TOEFL > 85 or equivalent is preferred).
If you are interested to apply, send your application file with these documents:
● CV in Spanish or English.
● One motivation letter in Spanish or English.
● One recommendation letter in Spanish or English.
● Any other document you may think useful to be considered in your application file.
● All documents should be sent in pdf format by e-mail to Lucía Rucoba (e-mail: red.acv@pucp.edu.pe).
Extra Information
Contact: ian.vazquez@pucp.edu.pe; ramzy.kahhat@pucp.edu.pe
Application deadline: January 15th, 2025
Activities start: March or August 2025
Contract duration: 35 months
Indicative salary: Highly competitive at a regional level in Latin America. To be discussed during the interview.
Employer: PUCP, contract renewed on an annual basis until 35 months are completed. The possibility of teaching one undergraduate course per semester at the School of Science and Engineering can be also discussed. Positions as Teaching Assistant would also be possible.
Workplace: Peruvian Life Cycle Assessment Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Avenida Universitaria 1801, San Miguel 15088, Lima, Peru.
PROJECT SUMMARY
The FOODTURE initiative aims at catalyzing a transformative shift towards sustainable and innovative practices within the European food sector. Through the development and validation of enhanced life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies and the promotion of stakeholder engagement, FOODTURE seeks to uncover effective strategies for sustainability and foster a resilient, circular food value chain. Emphasizing transparency and open access, the initiative performs R&I on precision agriculture techniques and environmental stewardship practices to mitigate pollution and enhance holistic impact assessment. FOODTURE delivers 16 clusters of results, including: A) whole-value chai
LCIs of EU food systems; B) methodologies for improved Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA); C) system-level impact quantifications, including an analysis of trade-offs and synergies between environmental, social, economic, animal welfare and human health impacts; D) policy briefs, open access & free tools, and capacity building sessions, that stakeholders can use to integrate LCAs in their daily operations. All of this is performed with the continuous integration of all value chain’s actors, in every step of the project’s implementation. Through collaborative action and innovative solutions, FOODTURE prioritizes zero pollution and assessment of regionalized environmental impacts, thus aspiring to set a new standard for holistic food system management, driving meaningful progress towards a more sustainable and resilient future for European food systems.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF POSITION 1
The successful candidate for this PhD position is expected to have a background in fisheries, ocean science and biodiversity loss. The main tasks within the project will be to contribute to novel and sophisticated LCIA models to quantify the environmental impacts related to seabed impact, stock depletion and other marine-related impact categories.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF POSITION 2
The selected candidate for this PhD position is expected to have a background in environmental science, agricultural science and sustainability. Additionally, experience in LCI modeling for agricultural (or similar) products, and a deep understanding of LCA is a plus. In addition, since the project will use data from the National Agricultural Census (CENAGRO, for its acronym in Spanish), database management, through Python or R, or handling statistical software such as Stata, Matlab, or SPSS, is required.
